Sure, there are a slew of unproductive habits out there (Imgur, Reddit, Trump memes), but Peter Bregman, CEO of Bregman Partners, consults companies and top executives on the topic of productivity and he says that a counterproductive attitude is the true root of our productivity problem.

The attitude in question: “If I'm super busy, then I am productive and if I'm going non-stop, then that will lead to my success.”

You’ve done it; admit it. You’ve emailed from the minute you’ve woken up to the minute you’ve fallen asleep; you’ve tried to do three things at once.

We can’t fault you. We live in a world, as Bregman says, where there is “an unending pursuit of getting more done.”

The problem: The pursuit works against us. Why? Because when we’re that busy, we can’t think straight, he says. We lose our sense of prioritization and the luxury of space and time that allows us to think.

Think about last time you sat down and thought about something you wanted to achieve? That’s an important aspect of getting stuff done.

Top productivity experts urge that it’s time to start making changes—and stop prioritizing a go-go-go lifestyle. How’s that done? We tapped professionals in the field to find out.

Beating Busy-ness 101

Stop and Think

Step No. 1 in fighting back against a culture obsessed with busy-ness is slowing the hell down. When we’re depleted or overwhelmed, we’re much more likely to react instead of respond, says Bregman. And this can lead to emotional outbursts, resulting in courses of action that yield less-than-productive results.

“We react when we’re at our wits end,” he says. When you pause—even for as few as four seconds seconds—to think before you answer (an email, a human), you give yourself the opportunity to craft a productive response, he explains.

Watch the email come in; take the criticism; take a long, deep breath (two seconds left!); now think about how you would like to move forward constructively. (Sure beats firing off a response before you can even read the full message, doesn’t it?)

Rank Your Priorities

“It’s not about getting the most tasks done, but rather getting the most important ones done,” says says Craig Jarrow, author of the Time Management Ninja. “If you don’t concentrate on your priority tasks, you may get many things done and still not accomplish much in the big picture.”

Here’s how Bregman suggests you ID the important stuff: Keep two to-do lists.

Create a six-box to-do list at the beginning of the year. “You want to identify what is most important for you that year,” he says. Pick five things you want to focus on for the year. Maybe you want to finally switch careers or teach your son how to ride a bike. Write those down in January. It provides a shape—and a bigger context—for your daily tasks, he notes.

The sixth box should be for “the other 5 percent” — where you can dedicate a little bit of time, but your day should never include more than five percent of the things that don’t fit into your main points of focus.

“You can then populate your daily to-do list based on what you’ve already decided is most important,” Bregman says.

We Recommend

Evernote

With four different tiers (from ‘basic’ which is free to business) Evernote is a repository for everything’s that going on in your head, says Bandes. “When we’re not having to think about things, it’s not a drain on our energy.” The program allows you to enter information in (and return to it at any time) and enhance your notes with checklists, audio recordings. It syncs across multiple devices and is available on your phone or the web.

Eliminate, Delegate, Automate

Eliminate: When you’re completely crazed, look at your to-dos. Ask yourself three questions. First: What can be eliminated? Too often, tasks that don’t actually need to be done (buy another tie for Joe’s wedding) make their way onto our lists. Trim this fat.

Delegate: Then, delegate tasks that can be handed off (research site locations for the new building). Feel like no one can do it better than you can? “The truth is that your idea of good enough is significantly higher than what anybody else is going to evaluate for that,” says Bandes. Consider this, too: Even if someone else is able to do said task 80 percent as well as you would, 80 percent is better than you not getting it done at all.’” Hand ‘em off.

Automate: Which of your tasks can be automated? Sometimes, this is as simple as creating a reoccurring task on your calendar instead of having to remember to add the same meeting week after week, she notes.

Using brainpower is taxing. If a task can just happen, it takes the pressure off, she says.

Learn to Say No

All-too-often, Jarrow hears people say, ‘I don’t have enough time in the day.’ Sometimes that’s true. But the bigger takeaway is this: You can’t do it all.

Follow his advice: “Be selective about the obligations you take on. Saying ‘No’ when appropriate allows you to say ‘Yes’ to the things that are important to you.”

Connect With Others

When we’re overworked and frazzled, we tend to become insular. This is what prevents organizations from being successful, says Bregman. “You have a ton of people being productive with their own to-do lists, but collectively they're not thinking about what others are doing,” he says. “When we are incredibly busy, we are disconnected from other people.”

So take your head out of your iPhone and look around. Ask your co-workers what they’re working on. Find out where other people are at on the group project you’re all knee-deep in. What’s the next client the big boss is after?

It’s this insight that makes you not just a productive individual but a productive company asset—and isn’t that a trait every good businessman has in common?

Your Brain Can’t Multitask

Even if you think you can, you can’t. Leading psychologists will tell you that your brain’s not equipped to handle multitasking; consultants will insist it tanks productivity.

Don’t believe them? Recite the alphabet to J.

Now recite the numbers from 1 to 10.

Now, alternate letter, number, letter, number from A, 1.

It’s a test Bregman will ask you to perform if you question him. While the former exercises might take you five seconds, the latter will take you 20.

“The brain switches tasks—it doesn’t multi-task. And when when we switch tasks we waste an incredible amount of time,” says Bregman.

The fix is obvious: Close the extra tabs and complete one task before you start another.

But Bandes has another creative approach: “We all know that multitasking is ineffective, but I am a big proponent of multi-purposing — the idea that you get two benefits out of a single activity,” she says.

Examples of this: going to the gym with a friend (a workout and some social time) or take a working lunch with the boss (lunch and work).

How To Unplug From A Plugged In World

Repeat after me: Do Not Check Your Email First Thing in the Morning

Not only does the last thing you read stay in your mind all night, screwing with your sleep; if you roll out of bed and immediately grab your iPhone, “you jump into fighting whatever fires are showing up without even wrapping your head around what is important,” says Bregman.

Email, he notes, is a vehicle of reacting and responding — not a vehicle of creating. By responding ASAP in the a.m., Bregman says “you’ve begun a trend of reacting instead of proactively and strategically making choices about where to spend your time.”

Take a review of research out of Case Western University: It found that, specifically, mindfulness improved three areas of attention — stability, control, and efficiency. People who participated in a mindfulness training session were able to pay attention to both visual and listening tasks for longer than those who didn’t.

It’s not as big of a commitment as you think. As little as 20 minutes a day is enough to start seeing results.

We Recommend

Muse: Brain Sensing Headband

Want to know what’s happening in your brain when you meditate? There’s an app — err — device for that. Muse gives you you real-time feedback on what’s going on inside your brain when you zen out. It connects to an app via Bluetooth, helping you to understand where your mind drifts and how to reach a deeper state of calm.$199.99 at Amazon.com

GAIAM Zabuton Floor Cushion

Meditating on the floor is fine, but for some added comfort consider GAIAM’s lines of body-forming floor pillows. With less pressure on your joints, you can focus on reaching a new level of calm. Plus, the pillow’s cover is machine washable (just incase Fido decides the pillow is his).$49.98 at Amazon.com

Take Email Breaks Throughout the Day

“People mistake their inbox for their priority list,” says Laura Vanderkam, the author of I Know How She Does It,168 Hours, and What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. “If you're constantly checking email, you’ll never devote bigger chunks of time to other problems.”

Say you have a job that requires frequent email checking. Vanderkam says you're better off working for 45 minutes, answering email for 15 minutes, then working on something else for 45 minutes, and so on than checking every two minutes.

(Remember what we said about that task switching?)

Use Your Smartphone When You’re Available

No one will argue with the idea that the Internet revolutionized the world, making us eons more productive. Here’s the problem: What can start as a 10-second search on Imgur can easily turn into an hour of wasted time.

“Somewhere along the way, we let the technology that was supposed to save us time become the biggest time wasters in the workplace,” says Jarrow.

Chances are you don’t go anywhere without your phone. But remember this, says Jarrow: “Your phone is there for your convenience, not the person on the other end of the line.”

That means it’s important to turn your ringer and notifications off if you’re in the middle of something that you don’t want to be disturbed doing. He also adds: “Don’t answer the phone unless you are free and available.”

Airplane mode is always an option, too; as is the ‘do not disturb’ option on your phone, she notes.

We Recommend

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 32 GB

When was the last time you really sat down to read something? “Many of us spend random minutes (waiting for the bus, waiting for a call) checking email or reading headlines,” says Vanderkam. “If you put the Kindle app on your phone, and buy ebooks for it, you can read real literature during these bits of time. Many people say they want more time to read and that's one way to find it."$89.99 at Amazon.com

How To Set Up A Productive Day

ID Your Prime Times

Bandes is a proponent of honoring the times of the day that you perform at your best. “We all work a little bit differently,” she says. Thrive off of an a.m. workout? Do your best hard work after a hearty lunch? “Find your prime times for activities and schedule your day around them,” she suggests.

“You become more productive and get things done quicker—almost magically creating time.”

Start Your Day an Hour Earlier

You don’t need to force yourself to be an early bird, but waking up before your family for 60 minutes of ‘me’ time can be restorative.

Plus: “Once your day gets ‘busy,’ it can be difficult to get to your important tasks,” notes Jarrow. “Complete two or three of your most important to-dos while most of the world is still sleeping.”

We Recommend

Apple Watch Series 2

Apple’s wrist jewelry might be an investment but the ability to sync up with your calendar, send reminders by way of vibrations, track how much your moving, and compatibility with top apps, including Evernote, makes it a vehicle for productivity. Plus, it’s accessibility means you’ll never dig through a bag for that text message again.$336.97 at Amazon.com

What Kind of a Procrastinator You?

Bandes says that there are five basic reasons we procrastinate:

Perfectionism: avoiding doing things knowing how hard it will be to achieve the level of perfect desired.

Boredom: hating the tasks or find them tedious and boring.

Overwhelmed: becoming paralyzed from feeling overwhelmed.

Fearful: fear of doing a bad job or being rejected.

Rewarded: learning that waiting is okay.

But before you do a deep dive on your procrastination, consider whether or not you need to worry about it in the first place. “A lot of the time we get in our heads that we’re not supposed to procrastinate, when it’s not always that big of a deal.”

After all, if you’ve always done work at the eleventh hour and thrive on the pressure, you might just work your best that way.

If you procrastinate tasks because you dread them? Turn boring items on your to-do list into a game, she suggests. If you finish the spreadsheet in an hour, maybe you’ll treat yourself to a quick break for a walk around the building, for example.

Or, make a playlist that’s reserve for when you’re doing the task. Says Bandes: “We have great playlists that get us excited and energized for exercise; do the same for the tasks you don't like at work.”

We Recommend

ToodleDo

Experts like ToodleDo because it has the ability to be a powerful productivity tool but it also scales with you — meaning it can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be. You can use it just to write notes or create custom lists; or you can track your habits and share content with co-workers or family members. It’s completely customizable and all of your data is saved and stored across your devices.Available for free on Google Play, iTunes at ToodleDo.com

Prepare for Your Day in Advance

The main reason we waste time? According to Vanderkam, it’s simple: We don’t think through what we want or need to do.

Actually setting aside time to set up meetings, schedule appointments, prepare for meetings, and reach out to friends to see if they’re around (a few days in advance) allows you actually do the things you want and need to do, notes Jarrow.

Take some time at the end of the work day to consider the days to come.

How To Have Productive Relationships

Ask Yourself What Outcome You’re Looking For

Bregman suggests asking yourself two questions before entering a conversation: What is the outcome that I want? and what do I need to do or say to help get me to that outcome?

“People are reactive,” he notes. “If someone yells at you and your immediate reaction is get upset or shrink you might not get the outcome you want.”

Taking a deep breath (and having that desired outcome in the back of your head) helps steer the conversation. Save time by being truthful. It’s always the quickest conversation whether at work or at home, says Jarrow.

Zone In On The Present

We’ve all had those conversations where you're not really engaged, the ones where we have our noses our phones and mumble ‘yes’ and ‘no.’

“I think being ‘productive’ in relationships means giving these relationships the thought they deserve,” says Vanderkam. This stems from being intentional and present. Bandes adds that multi-purposing, and spending time with family doing activities that also need to get done (such as making a meal together, is a good way to stay in the moment.

As she puts it: “Where we get caught up with relationships is that when we’re spending time with people we care about, we’re busy thinking about all the other things we need to be doing; and when we’re doing those things we’re thinking about spending time with loved ones.”

Plan Your Social Time

“Maybe it's calling a friend, or doing something for your parents, or taking your spouse out to dinner, but whatever it is, treat it as the equivalent of a work priority, and your relationships will be much better.”

Say Thank You

Gratitude is arguably one of the most powerful emotions. It’s been linked to better health, improved mood, and — you guessed it — improved productivity.

If gratitude journals (writing down a few things you’re thankful for every day) aren’t your thing (they do work, though), then consider ending the day with a thank-you — to your wife, your co-worker who covered for you big time this morning, or that prospective client who took the time to meet with you today.

People appreciate thank-you. Consider it a strategy for furthering healthy, productive relationships.

AskMen may receive a portion of revenue if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.
The links are independently placed by our Commerce team and do not influence editorial content. To find out more, please read our complete
terms of use.